pantha du prince - Elements of Light

Bell-fancier Hendrik Weber marks up his most ambitious project, marrying campanology and feathered techno on 'Elements Of Light' for Rough Trade. Collaborating with Norwegian musicians The Bell Laboratory, he created this symphony for electronics, percussion, and bell carillon - a three-tonne instrument comprising 50 bronze bells. There's an obvious resonance with the work of Steve Reich, also chiming with Moondog's rhythmic minimalism and the works of LaMonte Young, taking inspiration as they did from jazz, new music, gamelan and western sacred music. It's a sophisticated step forward from PDP's acclaimed 'Black Noise' LP, refining and tempering its richly rhythmelodic structures to create gossamer fine microtones and that sing over velvet cushioned and pendulous bass patterns fit for adventurous clubs and solitary listening experience, really coming into its own on the rippling trance ascendance of 'Spectral Split' and the succinctly arranged 'Photon'.